The set gets a lot of attention in poker because it is a huge hand, hidden in strength and can be the source of the majority of your profits whether you are playing cash games or tournaments.

It's a comforting feeling when you are holding a pair of eights and flop comes down something like Ah-8c-7d. Your set is going to have any opponent holding an ace in a mountain of trouble, and anybody sitting on an open-ended straight draw is at your mercy in regards to how much they will pay to chase it.

Poker is a game that's all about position, but this is a situation where being the first one to act can have its advantages.

Suppose you are involved in this scenario against a lone opponent that raised into you before the flop with $50 in the pot and comparable chips stacks of $500.

One of the most popular moves in this situation is to check into your opponent in hopes of setting a trap.

It's the classic “as seen on TV” play and can work on occasion, but it's usually the wrong play. Here's why:

Any opponent that might have been on the straight draw can now take a free card. You lost the opportunity to charge a premium, and the odds aren't bad (32 percent) that the draw will hit with two cards to come.

If the player is bluffing, playing a paired ace or simply believes he has you beat on the flop and does bet into you for $40, a common counter is the check-raise another $100 or more.

The check-raise is one of the strongest plays in poker — often too strong. Your opponent now has the opportunity to bail without too much damage to his stack.

A savvy opponent will fold hands such as A-Q, A-10 or a pair of kings or queens. Players holding A-K will still pay.

It hurts when you don't maximize on your profits in this situation, because they don't come around more than a few times per session.

The odds of being dealt a pocket pair are 16-to-1, and if you see a flop every time you get one (not exactly recommended), the set hits 1-in-8.

A better play is to simply call if your opponent bets into you after the flop. Your hand remains mysterious.

But the best play? When you hit that set out of position, load up the chips, and fire with your own $40 bet.

When somebody takes that opening stab at the pot, players in position often will see that as an attempt to steal it or hide a hand with weakness. They will be more likely to raise your bet, and when they do, you have them.

Even if they shut down the action when you move all-in to counter their re-raise, there's enough money in the pot to be proud of.

However, that same player who would have folded the A-Q vs. your check raise might willingly call in this situation and risk it all — continuing to put you on the steal.

Or, they might turn over their own set of aces, and you will walk away broke. It happens, but you still would have played the hand correctly.